Device for dehairing animal hides and pelts



` Sept. 27, 1949D F. NEWBY ETAL 2,483,343

DEVICE FOR DEHAIRING ANIMAL HIDES AND PLTS Filed July 26, 1948` days Patented Sept. 27, 1949 @UNITED STATES 'TENT oFF-icl?. Y FOR DELIISANIMAL HIDES AND PEE V Frederic L. Newby and I tichard-F..-Newby,

Anderson, Ind.

Applicationeuly 2.6, 1948,1Ser-ial No. 40H04 4 claims. (C1. Aele- 420) This invention relates to a device for .removing the from animal :hides and .pe-lts.

In the processing fof hides or .pelts, especially in preparation .for the tanning process, vit is iirst necessary -to rei-nove thev coarsehair lor fur cover ing the outside of 'the without fracturing or marring thesu'rtac'e of the hole or belt. This has generally been kaccomplis'lfied by chemical depi-litories, by llarge ,machines .in which .the Whole hide or pelt is passed lthrough a series of brushes andscrapers. therst case the chemical process 'is time .consuming and often harmful to the hide .or Apelt. nlIn 'the :Second case, the mechanical handling andV hair removing devices are generally not delicate enough, and because, by nature, the .hides or pelts are vof irregular .shape and thicke ness, the 'skinsurfacefis often marred and broken.

An object of `the present .invention is to provide a novel hair .removing .device V.which retains the delicate control of hand 'opera-tion and at the same time makes possible the rate of production inherent in .the :application -o'f mechanical power.

A further object of the invention .is vto provide a light weight hair removing device with which the operator may `easily follow the irregularities of a hide or zpelt without miarring ithe lsurface thereof.

'Still another object of the invention is to provide 1a hair v'removing device having means by which the relation 'of the shaving knives to the hide "surface may be exactly regulated and kept constant, such setting being made in one operation.

:A further object is to .provide vva de-hairing device in which the shaving knives may be quickly removed for Agrinding or replacement.

A -further 4object is to provide a hair removing device in which 'the hood completely covers the `revolving knives 'during the shaving opera tion, thus protecting the hands of the operator from injury, 'and alsoprtecting the eyes of the operator from flying hair or foreign particles.

Another object is to provide a device in which said hood serves to stretch and hold rm a small portion of the hide so that -it may be operated upon by @the revolving knives,

Another object is to provide a portable hand tool for removing hair from animal hides eor -pelts which .may be driven by any -power means available, and embodying a hood -or cover for the =cut ting elements, with a tubular extension on the hood or cover constituting a manipulating handle.

With the above and other `objects in view, as will be :presently understood, the invention 'oonsists in general of certain novel details of con- 2 struction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of 4referenceindicate like parts in the severa-1 views, and in which Figure v1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on :the line I-l of Figure 2, showing all of the deehairing mechanism withi-n a protective hood,

Figure 2 is a bottom elevational view of the device showing the exposed cutters at the open end of the hood, and

Figure -3 ris across-:sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

In the present invention there is provided a tubular :handle =5 at the lower end of which is a hood comprising a conical section lIi extending from the tubular handle 5 and terminating in a cylindrical portion 1. A sleeve 8 is longitudinally adjustably mounted within the ltubular handle 5 -i-n proximity to the conical portion 6 of the hood and isV retained in adjusted position 'by the set screw 9 threaded through the handle for engagement with said sleeve, vas shown in Fig. 1.

In turn, there is journalled i-n the sleeve 8 a shaft I, said shaft revolving in the sleeve on the standard bearing assembly shown by dotted lines in lFig. 1.- The inner end of shaft vIl) is threaded as vat H for receiving the rotatable flexible shaft I2, which is locked Yon the shaft by the set screw I3., and which iieX-ible :shaft is in communication with Ka power source. Immediately below this threaded portion I I is-a removable collar I4 locked in place on the shaft by the set screw I5, for retaining the shaft I!J -in journalled relation to its bearings. y

rEhe `outer end `of the shaft VIl] extends beyond the sleeve 8 -a-nd into the hood and is threaded as at I6. The `threaded yportion VIii of the shaft Ill adjacent Itheouter end of the sleeve 8 is -flattened en opposite sides for -a -short :distance as at I'I to serve asa Wrench hold when Ipositioning the collar I4 on the threaded portion I I of the shaft.

@n the inner portion of the threads I6 is adjustably positioned a nut I8 which serves to `lock the shaving :assembly on the lthreaded portion 'I6 of theshaft I-ll.

On .the `outer threaded end I6 rof the shaft Il) is threaded "a Vsleeve 2,0 having `an outwardly directed annular ange portion -2I. An outer sleeve 22 is mounted on thesleeve 20 and has an outwardly .directed .annular flange 23 overlying and contacting the aforesaid .ange `21. Immediately below the flange portion .2l is a disc-shaped head V24 secured to said flange 2.! by the `screws 25 and having equally spaced, arcuate lugs 26 3 projecting from its outer face and through which said screws pass. These lugs serve as positioners for the shaving knives 2l' and also as additional support against lateral movement of said knives. Projecting inwardly from the inner face of the head 2e are equally spaced, arcuate lugs 28 which are seated in similarly shaped recesses 29 in the flange portion 2l of the sleeve 26, and shown in Figures l and 3. These lugs 28 assist the screws 2? in resisting the torque stresses between the le head 23 and iiange portion 2l of the sleeve 20.

The knives 2 are placed equidistantly and radially on the head 2:3 so that the cutting edges 3G are lined up with the axis of revolution' of the shaving assembly, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of if;

the knives 2l is attached to the head 24 and the flange portion 2l of the sleeve 2G by two screws 3 l placed near either end of the knife. The outer screw in each blade is extended through the sleeve 2t and threadedly engaged in the flange portion 23 oi the sleeve 22 to hold said sleeve in position in relation to the sleeve 2i).

Each knife 2l consists of a bar-like blade of uniform cross-section, having a thickened leading edge, the leading face being ground slightly concave as at 32a and the underside nearest the cutting edge also being made slightly concave'as at 32, thus more clearly defining the cutting edge 30.

In using the device the operator grasps the :Y

tubular handle 5 and places the outer peripheral edge of the hood on the stretched hide or pelt. The relation of the knives to the hide surface may then be quickly adjusted by moving the sleeve 8 within the handle and locking it in position by 2&1;

the set screw 9. Any available power means is then applied to the remote end of the flexible shaft i2, causing the knife assembly to rotate at any set speed. The device is then maintained in a vertical position and then moved horizontally over the surface of the hide, the relation between the knives and hide surface being maintained at a constant distance by the hood.

It is apparent that the device may easily follow the irregularities and contours of the hide, and may be applied to any one spot for as long or short a period as is necessary for removing the hair, thus using to full advantage the skill and judgement of a trained operator.

It is apparent also that the hood completely covers the knives during the shaving process and completely protects the hands of the operator from the cutting tool and his eyes from flying particles of hair or any accompanying foreign matter. In addition the circular edge of the hood serves to stretch and hold firm that portion of the hide or pelt within range of the revolving knives. Still another advantage of the device is that at no time is it possible for the operator to inadvertantly groove or injure the surface of the hide or pelt with the sharp end points of the shaving knives, since said knives do not extend below the plane of the marginal edges of the hood.

While there are shown herein and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l, A portable de-hairing device comprising a rotatable cutter head, an open ended hood surrounding the cutter head, a tubular handle extending inwardly from the hood, a bearing shaft journalled in said handle and connected to said 45 cutter head and a remotely powered flexible drive qu l.

cutter head and a remotely powered exible drive shaft for said bearing shaft and cutter head, said cutter head including a sleeve secured to the outer end of the bearing shaft, an outwardly directed annular ange on the outer end of the sleeve, a disc head interttingly anchored to said flange and radial cutter blades secured to the outer face oi' the disc head.

2. A portable de-hairing device comprising a rotatable cutter head, an open ended hood surrounding the cutter head, a tubular handle extending inwardly from the hood, a bearing shaft journalled in said handle and connected to said cutter head and a remotely powered flexible drive shaft for said bearing shaft and cutter head, said bearing shaft being longitudinally adjustable in said handle to position the effective end of the cutter head in proper relation to the open end of the hood, said cutterhead including a sleeve secured to the outer end of the bearing shaft, an outwardly directed annular flange on the outer end of the sleeve, a disc head interfittingly anchored to said ange and radial cutter blades secured to the outer face of the disc head.

3. A portable dehairing device comprising a rotatable cutter head, an open ended hood surrounding the cutter head, a tubular handle extending inwardly from the hood, a bearing shaft journalled in said handle and connected to said cutter head and a remotely powered flexible drive shaft for said bearing shaft and cutter head, said cutter head including a sleeve secured to the outer end of the bearing shaft, an outwardly directed annular flange on the outer end of the sleeve, a disc head interttingly anchored to said flange radial cutter blades secured to the outer face of the disc head, and lugs projecting from the outer face of the disc head constituting abutments for the cutter blades.

. fj 4. A portable de-hairing device comprising a rotatable cutter head, an open ended hood surrounding the cutter head, a tubular handle extending inwardly from the hood, a bearing shaft journalled in said handle and connected to said shaft for said bearing shaft and cutter head, said bearing shaft being longitudinally adjustable in said handle to position the effective end of the cutter head in proper relation to the open end of the hood, said cutter head including a sleeve secured to the outer end of the bearing shaft, an outwardly directed annular flange on the outer end of the sleeve, a disc head interttingly anchored to said flange and radial cutter blades secured to the outer face of the disc head, and lugs projecting from the outer face of the disc head constituting abutments for the cutter blades.

FREDERIC L. N'EWBY.

RICHARD F. NEWBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 147,896 Bryant Feb. 24, 1874 957,729 Bossert May 10, 1910 1,440,960 Brown et al Jan. 2, 1923 0 1,623,520 Bennington Apr. 5, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 68,389 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1915 l Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,483,348 September 27, 1949 FREDERIC L. NEWBY ET AL.

It is hereby certied that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, line 7, for the Word hole read hide; ."*v'-lff-l...

vand that the said Letters Patent' should be read with this correction therein that .the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent OIice.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of January, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssoner of Patents. 

